I’ve been on my fair share of Disney world vacations. And I’ve shared plenty of tips on this blog.
This post is going to focus on the top ten that really stood out to me beyond my trip.
Most of these tips are relatively small, which may be a little surprising considering how big of an undertaking a Disney World Vacation is.
But at the end of each trip, these tend to be the tips I was most grateful for.
Here are the ten Disney World Tips that have helped me the most.
Side note: This page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!
Additionally, this post is written and published while COVID restrictions are in place, so not everything on this list may be relevant for the current circumstances. It’s designed to be a more-or-less timeless article and outlive current restrictions. Be sure to check for guidelines and restrictions that are in place for your trip.
Bring a filtered bottle
There’s no real reason to buy overpriced bottled water in Disney World. There are plenty of water fountains and bottle refill stations around the parks.
Beyond that, any counter service location will give you a cup of free water if you ask.
However, cups aren’t always convenient to carry around and Flordia water can have a little bit of a weird taste to some people if you’re not used to it.
Instead, get yourself a Brita sport filtered water bottle. The sport bottles are lightweight, and can be tossed easily into a bag or backpack. And the filter means you can fill it up at any water fountain or bottle refill station and know it’s fresh.
Merchandise pick-up
Carrying around your purchases can be a pain. Especially if you bought something bigger, bulkier, or breakable.
Luckily, Disney has a solution for this! When you make a purchase in a Disney World Park, you can ask the cast member checking you out about Merchandise Pick-up.
If you’re staying in a Disney World resort, you can have your purchase sent back to your resort to be picked up the following day.
If you’re staying off property or leaving the following day, you can have your package sent to a location at the front of the park to be picked up on your way out.
For more on how to use Merchandise Pick up, check out this post.
Catch the beginning of the parade
One of the best times to ride rides is during the parade. This is because most people are at the parade, so wait times are reduced.
But at the same time, Disney parades are pretty awesome, and I for one, hate to miss them.
To get the best of both worlds, ask a Cast Member where the parade starts, and do your best to get to that spot. (For Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy Parade, it usually starts in Frontier Land/Liberty Square, but always ask to be sure).
This will give you the advantage of seeing the parade first and getting to the end of the parade before most visitors have even seen the start. Then you can book it to your favorite ride while the rest of the park enjoys the rest of the parade.
Another perk is it’s usually a lot less crowded off main street, so you can get closer to the action.
Don’t be afraid to ask a cast member!
Cast members are there to help you have a magical vacation! Don’t be afraid to ask for anything you need or want. They may not always be able to accommodate you, but if they can, they will! (And there’s a lot they can do for you!)
Related, always be kind to the cast members! They really will do everything they can for you. Even if something goes wrong, being kind and patient may get you a little extra Disney magic.
Use Disney World gift cards to stick to a budget
If you’re looking to keep yourself from overspending, consider putting your spending money on gift cards before you go. It’s an easy way to keep yourself on a budget.
It’s also a great way to set a budget for kids!
You can also do this for food if you like the idea of pre-paying for your meals similar to the Dining Plan but want to pay less than the dining plan costs for food.
Side note: I haven’t done this personally, but I’ve hard if you have a Target credit card, you can buy Disney gift cards with your Target card and save 5%.
Tell Disney about your food allergies
If you’re eating in the parks or resorts and you have a food allergy, let your server know! Members of my family have food allergies, and Disney is ridiculously awesome about accommodating special diets.
Most locations have a special modified menu. On top of that, the chief will often come out to meet with you to be sure they prepare something you like that meets your diet.
You can read more about dining in Disney World with food allergies here.
You can visit the resorts even if you aren’t staying there
A lot of people don’t know that you can visit Disney Resorts even if you aren’t staying there.
This is a great thing to do if you don’t have a park ticket for every day on your vacation, or if you’re looking for something to do on your arrival or departure days.
You can use Disney Transportation to get to any resort.
And while you can’t make use of the pool or other similar amenities, there are a lot of activities you can participate in, even if you’re not a guest at that resort.
Do your food research before you go
There is SO MUCH good food in Disney World and all of the menus are online! This is true for EVERY Disney food location including snack kiosks, counter service locations, and table service locations.
There are tons of great snacks and restaurants that are exclusive to certain parks and locations, so if you’re looking to indulge in some yummy food, take some time checking out the menus so you don’t miss out.
However, they do change things out regularly so be sure to double check the offerings before you go if you planned way in advance.
You can find Disney’s restaurants and menus here.
You can apply new deals and discounts after you’ve booked your trip
A lot of people think you should wait to book your trip until there’s a good deal or discount running, but this isn’t true.
You should absolutely keep an eye on the special offers page on Disney’s website, but the reality is, you can apply any new deal or offer to any trip you’ve already booked.
All you have to do is call Disney back up and they’ll help you make this happen.
In some cases, they’ll be able to apply the deal to your existing reservation. In others, they may have to cancel your reservation and rebook, but this comes at no additional cost to you.
This is a really good hack to keep in mind if you have specific dates you want to be in Disney for or if you know there’s a specific resort you want to stay at.
This way you can book as soon as you know your dates–whether or not there’s a deal–so you won’t miss out.
Be mindful of your phone battery
Between the Disney app, pictures, and keeping track of the members of your group, your phone battery is likely to get a workout! Which is why it’s important to keep it charged.
Disney has changing stations and outlets throughout the park you can take advantage of, however, you also might want to think about bringing your own battery powered charging rod in case you need a little juice on the go.
This is especially important if you do happen to be traveling around the time this article is published when so much as gone digital to reduce contact points.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: What are some tips that have helped you the most? Tell us about it in the comments!